


Tenterhooks

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Birth, Community: comment_fic, F/M, Het, Pregnancy, Rare Pair, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-23 07:09:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8318602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: A tornado hits while Caitlin is giving birth





	

**Author's Note:**

> Theme : disasters  
> Prompt: The Flash, Caitlin Snow/Joe West, A tornado hits while Caitlin is giving birth.  
> http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/760876.html?thread=100098860#t100098860

"Where is she?"

Cisco spins around with an audible sigh of relief as he hears Joe's voice. The older man sounds harried, looks it too, a state of mind that Cisco completely understands. "Hell if I know," he says, throwing his hands up to heaven for good measure. "She's doing laps of the facility, says it helps... she's not going to be happy I called you."

Joe's lips set into a thin line. "I wish you'd called me sooner." 

"I tried." Which is the honest truth. As soon as Cisco had realised what was going on, his fingers had been itching to call Joe. "Have you ever tried arguing with a nine months pregnant hormonal Caitlin?" The second the words leave his lips, he remembers who he's talking to, doesn't need Joe's raised eyebrows and stunned expression to remind him. "Forget I said that." 

He's saved from whatever retort Joe might have by the sound of footsteps, slow and shuffling, from the corridor outside and Joe's head turns rapidly in that direction. There's a look on his face that's somewhere between relief and frustration when he sees Caitlin enter, but the look on Caitlin's face is one of pure frustration. "I told you, you didn't have to call Joe." She's glaring at Cisco, one hand on the small of her back, one hand on her enormous belly. "I was all-" 

Whatever she's about to say is cut off when she presses her lips together in a thin line, shoulders tensing as she sucks in a deep breath. Joe is at her side in an instant, one arm around her waist, his other hand holding hers and his eyes never leave her face as she breathes slowly in and out. 

Cisco can see in her face when the worst of the pain has eased and she looks up at Joe, bites her lip. "I was about to call you," she says and he chuckles as he leans in to kiss the top of her head. 

"And this is all very well and good," Cisco tells them, "but I think you two need to be hauling ass to the nearest hospital. Like, right now." Not that he's had a lot of practice with birthing babies, but he remembers from Mama's telenovelas how fast these things can go and as much as he loves Caitlin, as much as she's like his sister and he's totally going to spoil this kid rotten, there are certain things that he just does not want to see. 

Except Caitlin turns a glare on him. "No hospital," she says and he fights the urge to bury his head in his hands. "I'm a meta human, Cisco ... What happens if I freeze someone because I lose control in the delivery suite?" She runs her hand across her stomach. "I have everything I need at home. It'll be fine." He doesn't know if she's trying to convince him, Joe or herself. 

Joe's face, however, looks like he needs a lot of convincing. "Not gonna happen," he says heavily. Caitlin looks up at him and frowns, ready to argue but he gestures towards the monitors on the wall. "You two might not have been paying attention, but that tornado warning this morning? Turns out it was right on the money." Cisco turns to the computers, presses a few buttons and the local news channel turns on and, sure enough, it looks like a scene from a disaster movie out there. "They're already closing down the roads... if I didn't have a badge, I wouldn't have got here." 

Cisco sees Caitlin's hand tighten on Joe's and he swallows hard as the meaning hits him. "You mean..." 

Caitlin sucks in another deep breath as another contraction hits her, this one bending her over slightly. Joe's eyes meet Cisco's and he nods slowly. "Looks like this baby's being born into science, whether we like it or not."

Cisco raises his hands. "I'm an engineer, not a midwife," he hears himself say. "But tell me what you need."

"Relax." Caitlin grinds the word out, leaning heavily against Joe. "You think I didn't plan for this?" Cisco feels his eyes grow wide and she actually smiles. "I spend eighty percent of my days here, it made sense to take over one of the spare offices with supplies." She glances up at Joe. "And I am a doctor, remember? We'll be fine." 

"We will?" Joe doesn't look convinced and Caitlin nods. 

"Come on... Let's go." 

She leads Joe slowly out of the room and, not knowing what else to do, Cisco follows them. "What can I do? Should I boil water? Get you towels?"

Caitlin glances back over her shoulder. "Call Barry and Iris, let them know what's going on."

"But to stay put til they hear from us." That's Joe's contribution. "I don't want them trying to get here in this weather..." 

They stop walking as Caitlin reaches out to steady herself with one hand against the wall. Joe's hand rubs circles on the small of her back as she breathes through the pain and she gives him a wan smile when she straightens. "They say first time labour should be at least ten hours," she says, tilting her head. "Looks like Barry's not your only kid who's fast." 

Joe gulps. "Come on... let's get you settled." 

Cisco follows them to the room, gives them a thumbs up as Joe closes the door behind them, walking back to the cortex to call Barry and relay the news and Joe's instructions. After that, he tries to work, really he does, but he's beyond distracted and he ends up pacing the halls of STAR Labs like some stereotypical 1950s expectant father. Every so often he hovers near the door, hears two voices talking softly, hears Caitlin's voice whimpering, occasionally moaning. Those are the times when he moves away, because he's fairly sure she wouldn't like him listening to that, but he always comes back, drawn like a magnet because it must be close now, right? 

On one of his walks past, the moan turns to something louder, more guttural and then there is a moment of silence that's broken by a tiny, reedy cry and Cisco gasps with delight, claps his hands over his mouth to swallow a squeal. 

And if he sheds a manly tear or two, there are no security cameras in the hallway so no-one will ever know. 

It seems like a long time later that the door opens and Joe's smiles emerges. Well, his whole head, but considering how big the smile is, it's no wonder the smile is the only thing Cisco sees. "You heard?" he asks and Cisco nods. 

"Are they ok? Both of them?" Because they've all been on tenterhooks for nine months, wondering how Caitlin's meta human system would affect a baby, and it's not like childbirth's a walk in the park for any woman, Cisco at least knows at much. 

Joe's smile though augurs well. "Mother and daughter both doing well," he says and Cisco covers his lips again to keep the squeal back. "You want to meet her?"

Cisco shakes his head. "I couldn't..."

"Get in here, Cisco." Caitlin sounds tired, but happy and there's that tone in her voice that Cisco knows better than to disobey. 

Caitlin's sitting on one of the couches that they occasionally use as beds, propped up by pillows, covered by blankets. She's wearing what looks like one of Joe's shirts, buttoned almost all the way up and, as Cisco gets closer, he can see the tiny baby lying on her chest, one of Caitlin's hands on her back, holding her protectively in place. Her eyes are closed, one cheek pressed against Caitlin's chest but Cisco can see her little lips pursed as she breathes, can see a head of black curls and yep, he was right - he's going to spoil her rotten. 

"Guys, she's gorgeous," he whispers as he leans in and presses a kiss to the top of Caitlin's head. "You did good."

She laughs, tears in her eyes. "I think so," she says and he reaches out, runs one finger along the baby's cheek before he straightens up, goes to shake Joe's hand but thinks better of it, pulls him into a hug instead. 

"Congrats, man," he says and even before Joe can say thank you, he's pulling out his phone. "I'll call Barry," he says. "They probably won't be able to get here for a while, even if I get through, it's still pretty wild out there... You two... three... stay here, be a family for a while." 

Joe's already sitting down beside Caitlin, looping one arm around her shoulders, using the other to push down the shirt so he can see the baby. "Don't worry, Cisco," he says. "We're not going anywhere." He kisses the top of Caitlin's head as she snuggles into him and Cisco can't remember the last time he saw her look so happy, so content. 

And, if he snaps a picture right before he leaves the room, he doesn't think anyone will mind him capturing the moment. 

They've had so many bad memories in these walls - it's nice to finally have a good one.


End file.
